(Translations may not be accurate)
We feel compelled to leave Switzerland if the partial revision of the surveillance law that the Federal Council is planning to come into force, Yen said on Tuesday evening in conversation with this editorial team. He founded the start-up 2014 in Geneva, which is known for the end-to-end encrypted Protonmail e-mail program. It now employs 500 people worldwide, including 150 in Switzerland.
Yen sees his business model at risk: Swiss surveillance would be significantly stricter than in the USA and the EU, Switzerland would lose its competitiveness. He is also afraid of the reputation of the country, which is characterized by security, privacy and trustworthiness.
His accusation that the Swiss surveillance state is looking for more and more power is no accident. As early as 2018, the Federal Department of Justice and Police (EJPD) wanted to define services such as Proton and Threema as telecommunications service providers and expand their exchange options. However, the Federal Court backed the FYPD in 2021. According to the Proton boss, the new revision plan actually resists the 2021 court ruling.